According to the FIFA ranking released on Friday, Nigeria has risen up three spots to 63rd place. This rise happened despite Nigeria being knocked out in the group stage of the ongoing 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) holding in Rwanda. Nigeria was ranked number 66 in the January edition of the monthly rankings. It seems that the Super Eagles’ win against Niger and draw with Tunisia at the soccer championship for home-based national team players improved the country’s rating in the FIFA rankings.The win over Cote d’Ivoire and draw with Angola in warm-up matches for the tournament in Rwanda also added more points to the Super Eagles.
Nigeria is currently ranked 12th in Africa with Cote d’Ivoire still occupying the top spot on the African continent, and are 28th in the world. The FIFA rankings are expected to be one of the things to consider when the draw for the final round of the qualifying tournament for the 2018 World Cup is done in June.Teams will be drawn in five groups to play on home and away basis with the overall group winners qualifying for the World Cup in Russia. Nigeria’s AFCON 2017 rivals Egypt are now 55th in the world and eighth in Africa.
 

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